Increase in bear sightings

According to a notice on the Town of Paxton website, there has been an increase in bear sightings in the area. “Residents are reminded to take action to prevent negative encounters with bears,” read the notice. “Bears are wild animals and are not to be treated as domesticated animals.”

The notice recommended reading guidelines written by MassWildlife to help make yards and neighborhoods less attractive to bears.

So what should residents do if they encounter a bear?

According to The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, you should leave the animal alone. “In most situations, if left alone, the bear will return to the forest on its own,” said a notice on the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs website. “Keep dogs under control. Stay away from the bear and advise others to do the same. Often a bear will climb a tree to avoid people. A gathering of people not only stresses the animal, but it adds the risk of having a bear chased out into traffic or into a group of bystanders.”

Additionally if you see a bear in a densely populated area, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1-800-632-8075 (24 hours) or the nearest MassWildlife District Office (weekdays during business hours) to report the sighting and get advice. The mere presence of a bear in a densely populated area is not a public safety threat and the bear will leave the area on its own. The Environmental Police or MassWildlife will provide advice and determine if a response from the Large Animal Response Team is necessary.

How do you keep a bear away from your home?

Do not feed bears either directly or indirectly through bird feeders or garbage. According to MassWildlife, when bears find sources of food in residential areas, they tend to spend more time in neighborhoods where a meal may be easily found. This can result in a bear losing its fear of people (habituation) and in some cases, can lead to bears breaking into sheds, cages and even homes in search of food. If a bear then behaves in a way that is a threat to public safety it may be euthanized, as stated on the MassWildlife website.

MassWildlife says bird feeders and bears don’t mix. “If you live in an area with bears, it is best to avoid bird feeders altogether,” read the website. “Bears finding a bird feeder, bird seed, corn or other bird food will often revisit that site, month after month, year after year. Bird feeders draw bears closer to people, resulting in habituation. It’s not safe for bears or people to be close to one another. If you choose to put out feeders, doing so in the winter when bears are denned may decrease the chances of a bear coming to your feeder. In general, most bears are denned from mid-December through February. Although most bears in Massachusetts enter winter dens at some point, MassWildlife biologists have tracked bears that remained active for some or all of the winter if food is available. It is important that you remove the entire feeder at the first sign of bear activity.”

For those people who enjoy birds in their yard, MassWildlife suggests growing native plants, shrubs, and trees to attract birds. Adding a water feature is a big draw for birds. According to MassWildlife “taking these actions may increase the diversity of birds you see and will prevent the unnatural feeding of bears and other kinds of neighborhood wildlife. Some bears have learned to simply empty bird feeders without destroying the feeder. Do not continue to fill a feeder. Do not leave empty feeders out. Residual smell and the sight of feeders can still attract bears.”

Store all garbage in closed containers in a garage or outbuilding. Do not leave your garbage barrels outside overnight; put them by the roadside just before pickup. Using double bags or sprinkling with ammonia will help reduce odors. Bears and other wild and domestic animals will tip cans and scatter garbage. Bears may be attracted by smelly cans even if there isn’t anything in them, so store garbage cans inside.

Compost Responsibly — Do not throw meat scraps, greasy, oily or sweet materials in your compost pile. Bears and other animals are attracted to these kinds of food. In communities where bears are more common, bear-proof dumpsters are recommended for apartments, condos and campgrounds.